“5.5 trillion cigarettes were produced globally in 2004; that’s 868 cigarettes per every man, woman, and child on the planet.”[Treehugger].
While many people understand the significant health risks associated with cigarettes and other tobacco use, there are still some 1.2 billion smokers world-wide[Treehugger].Cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases are just some of the negative effects tobacco can have on families[CDC].And while tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, health issues are not the only concern[WHO].An entire matrix of problems exist in cigarette use that make cigarettes and tobacco an important sustainability issue.
Cultural/Behavioral Problems | Society’s “addictive consumption of tobacco” has elevated cigarettes to a cultural and behavioral problem. Approximately 40% of Europeans smoke, and many Americans smoke as a way of social engagement [Treehugger].This societal ‘pressure’ to smoke has even found its way into the poorest of nations. The World Health Organization, WHO, found a link between tobacco and poverty; some of the poorest households in these countries spend up to 10% of their total household expenditure on tobacco[WHO].
Ecological Problems | “The ecological impacts of tobacco are overshadowed by its devastating effects on human health[Action].” Tobacco is a major culprit in the line of ecological problems. An obvious result of cigarettes is the litter from the leftover cigarette butts. The filters, made of cellulose acetate, may persist for 18 months or more under normal conditions. One clean-up day in Australia found that cigarette butts comprised 5% of all trash collected [TobControl2].Before the cigarettes even reach the consumer, however, deforestation and waste are major sustainability problems. There are two main causes of deforestation related to tobacco: wood usage in the farm-based process of drying the leaves and a production shift to the developing world which typically already have fragile natural environments [TobControl1].After the tobacco reaches the factories, the manufacturing process produces liquid, solid, and airborne wastes including tobacco slurries, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, and many others. In 1992, thetobacco industry ranked 18th in total chemical waste production among all industries [TobControl2].
Political Problems | The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was the first global public health treaty. As of January 2006, 121 countries had ratified the FCTC, which included things such as bans on advertising and tobacco tax and price increases [WHO].Of course, this did not sit well with the tobacco industry. An excellent example of the political ramifications of such an event were in Mexico in 2004. When the Mexican Ministry of Health try to raise tobacco taxes and place effective graphic warning labels on packages, Philip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT) stepped in. They made an agreement with the Ministry of Health to donate one peso per pack of cigarettes to the public health insurance fund (Seguro Popular de Salud) to prevent the changes from occurring. The money will be considered a “tax deductible charitable donation,” effectively lowering corporate income taxes on Philip Morris and BAT. The Health Minister was bullied into accepting the deal as he believed it was the only way to ensure the money for public health[BMJ].
Economic Problems | High costs of tobacco products create many economic problems. As we’ve seen in other sectors, the cost of tobacco in developing countries can cost many people large amounts of their total income. Healthcare costs related to tobacco use are also significant, such as the 30,000 million pesos annual cost to Mexico of tobacco induced diseases [BMJ]. Additional taxes and price increases keep the markets in a state of flux around these deadly products.
Media & Informational Problems | One of the major components of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was a ban on direct and indirect tobacco advertising [WHO].While the US has accepted this ban, there are still countries who have not in which tobacco advertisements are often directed at young, impressionable children. Warning labels on packages are also in the process of changing, with warnings ranging from the typical Surgeon General’s Warnings in the US to blunt messages like ‘Smoking kills.’ Dispersing important information about the negative effects of the tobacco industry continues to add to the matrix of sustainability problems.
Possible Solutions? | While there are a large spectrum of tobacco-related problems to be overcome, there are some positive, possible solutions available, such as: Adoption of the WHO FCTC Better enforced litter laws Increased taxes directed to environmental clean-up efforts Reduced packaging waste and improved biodegradability of filters Appropriate disposal mechanisms Increased public awareness campaigns about the magnitude and prevention of tobacco consumption [TobControl2]. While the problems facing us may seem depressing, the matrix of cigarettes and tobacco seem to be on a long, yet feasible, road to reconciliation.
Additional Information? | Please follow the links below to additional resources on tobacco-related problems as well as helpful information on quitting.
[Top Left] [Top Right] [Bottom Left] [Bottom Right]
“5.5 trillion cigarettes were produced globally in 2004; that’s 868 cigarettes per every man, woman, and child on the planet.” [Treehugger].
While many people understand the significant health risks associated with cigarettes and other tobacco use, there are still some 1.2 billion smokers world-wide [Treehugger]. Cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases are just some of the negative effects tobacco can have on families [CDC]. And while tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, health issues are not the only concern [WHO]. An entire matrix of problems exist in cigarette use that make cigarettes and tobacco an important sustainability issue.
Cultural/Behavioral Problems | Society’s “addictive consumption of tobacco” has elevated cigarettes to a cultural and behavioral problem. Approximately 40% of Europeans smoke, and many Americans smoke as a way of social engagement [Treehugger]. This societal ‘pressure’ to smoke has even found its way into the poorest of nations. The World Health Organization, WHO, found a link between tobacco and poverty; some of the poorest households in these countries spend up to 10% of their total household expenditure on tobacco [WHO].
Ecological Problems | “The ecological impacts of tobacco are overshadowed by its devastating effects on human health [Action].”
Tobacco is a major culprit in the line of ecological problems. An obvious result of cigarettes is the litter from the leftover cigarette butts. The filters, made of cellulose acetate, may persist for 18 months or more under normal conditions. One clean-up day in Australia found that cigarette butts comprised 5% of all trash collected [TobControl2]. Before the cigarettes even reach the consumer, however, deforestation and waste are major sustainability problems. There are two main causes of deforestation related to tobacco: wood usage in the farm-based process of drying the leaves and a production shift to the developing world which typically already have fragile natural environments [TobControl1]. After the tobacco reaches the factories, the manufacturing process produces liquid, solid, and airborne wastes including tobacco slurries, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, and many others. In 1992, the tobacco industry ranked 18th in total chemical waste production among all industries [TobControl2].
Political Problems | The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was the first global public health treaty. As of January 2006, 121 countries had ratified the FCTC, which included things such as bans on advertising and tobacco tax and price increases [WHO]. Of course, this did not sit well with the tobacco industry. An excellent example of the political ramifications of such an event were in Mexico in 2004. When the Mexican Ministry of Health try to raise tobacco taxes and place effective graphic warning labels on packages, Philip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT) stepped in. They made an agreement with the Ministry of Health to donate one peso per pack of cigarettes to the public health insurance fund (Seguro Popular de Salud) to prevent the changes from occurring. The money will be considered a “tax deductible charitable donation,” effectively lowering corporate income taxes on Philip Morris and BAT. The Health Minister was bullied into accepting the deal as he believed it was the only way to ensure the money for public health [BMJ].
Economic Problems | High costs of tobacco products create many economic problems. As we’ve seen in other sectors, the cost of tobacco in developing countries can cost many people large amounts of their total income. Healthcare costs related to tobacco use are also significant, such as the 30,000 million pesos annual cost to Mexico of tobacco induced diseases [BMJ]. Additional taxes and price increases keep the markets in a state of flux around these deadly products.
Media & Informational Problems | One of the major components of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was a ban on direct and indirect tobacco advertising [WHO]. While the US has accepted this ban, there are still countries who have not in which tobacco advertisements are often directed at young, impressionable children. Warning labels on packages are also in the process of changing, with warnings ranging from the typical Surgeon General’s Warnings in the US to blunt messages like ‘Smoking kills.’ Dispersing important information about the negative effects of the tobacco industry continues to add to the matrix of sustainability problems.
Possible Solutions? | While there are a large spectrum of tobacco-related problems to be overcome, there are some positive, possible solutions available, such as:
Adoption of the WHO FCTC
Better enforced litter laws
Increased taxes directed to environmental clean-up efforts
Reduced packaging waste and improved biodegradability of filters
Appropriate disposal mechanisms
Increased public awareness campaigns about the magnitude and prevention of tobacco
consumption [TobControl2].
While the problems facing us may seem depressing, the matrix of cigarettes and tobacco seem to be on a long, yet feasible, road to reconciliation.
Additional Information? | Please follow the links below to additional resources on tobacco-related problems as well as helpful information on quitting.
How Green Certification Programs Address Smoking/Nonsmoking.
http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/content.aspx?id=4454
Sing, Pramod. Holistic Approach to Sustainable Development. Chapter 24: Smoking A Problem in Sustainability. http://books.google.com/books?id=JJM5KIxhWK4C&pg=PA229&lpg=PA229&dq=smoking+as+a+sustainability+problem&source=bl&ots=kXywcVPN87&sig=VAVb-5aBMZyp0xxNhLs9esGt4oc&hl=en&ei=MZuqS6inCIGBlAe49aDGBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=smoking%20as%20a%20sustainability%20problem&f=false
Smoking and the Environment: Actions and Attitudes
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/Tobacco/Documents/eb582_smoking_env_en.pdf
Smoking Stats
http://mesabirangesustainability.blogspot.com/2009/06/smoking-stats.html
Halweil, Brian. “This Old Barn, This New Money.” World Watch Vision for a Sustainable World. 2003. http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/EP164B.pdf
Quit Smoking Today!
http://www.smokefree.gov/
COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sarah Barnard | Spring 2010